Asean faces major challenges as it turns 50

[webfact]

Asean faces major challenges as it turns 50
By Kavi Chongkittavorn
The Nation

 

BANGKOK: -- As Asean enters its 50th anniversary, it has to overcome quite a few immediate uncertainties to maintain its relevancy. First, it is all about the role of the US in the regional and global order.

 

For the past 70 years, the US has been the foundation of stability and prosperity since the end of World War II. Now a new US administration will run the country for the next four years; Washington has the potential to upend everything very familiar to the region.

 

Since his inauguration, President Donald Trump has not made any policy statement toward the Southeast Asian region, let alone focus on US-Asean relations. He and his staffers held phone conversations with some Asean leaders and key officials—mostly pleasantries. Currently, the Asean foreign ministers were perplexed by the lack of policy direction toward Asean from the White House. 

 

Full story: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/opinion/kavi/30307333

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-02-27

[outsider]

Personally, I think the US is losing its grip on SEA and this region will soon become China's backyard.

[whatawonderfulday]

Bit late for that as most of SEA are of Chinese descent, albeit a few generations ago, anyway. The only thing that that the US brought to the table and "had a grip on" was carpet bombing,  of mostly civilians.

[Srikcir]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

He and his staffers held phone conversations with some Asean leaders and key officials—mostly pleasantries.

Considering how ineffective ASEAN has been for the past 50 year, that's about all it deserves.